The Journey of a Lifetime
by Wizard2
Summary: Harry Potter's life goes downhill. R&R please!
1. Revelations

**Title: **The Journey of a Lifetime  
**Author:** Wizard  
  
**Disclaimer: **This story does not belong to me. It belongs to J.K. Rowling, one of the richest women in the United Kingdom. This piece is not being used to make money. It is purely for entertainment of me, the author, and anything you find offensive in this piece, please do not let it affect your decision to buy the Harry Potter books. They truly are wonderful.  
  
**Summary: **This starts at the end of the Goblet of Fire (GoF). After his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter comes back to the Dursleys for the summer vacation. Strange things happen there. The Dursleys become nicer. At least, Dudley does. Harry gets a snake and work, and things go downhill from there. The life of Harry Potter, a young boy, a teenager, a wizard, a hero, as he finds himself. Friends turn enemies and enemies turn friends; what is in store for the fifteen-year-old Boy-Who-Lived?  
  
**Pairings: **HP/OC (H/OC), HG/RW (R/Hr), GW/DM (G/D)  
**Rating: **PG-13 [Review if you believe the rating should be changed.]

**The Journey of a Lifetime**

Chapter 1 – Revelations

The night was chilly. The slight breeze was not enough to sway the tombstones of the graveyard in Little Hangleton. It was a peaceful night, apart from the chilliness, of course. This was a night that residents of towns around the world would put on their winter jackets and go for a night out at a party, their breath condensing into visible water droplets in the frigid night air.

            But the night was too calm for a certain Tom Marvolo Riddle. No one knew if this man was first named Thomas, and Tom was just a nickname. Hell, hardly anyone knew who Tom was. Oh, don't get me wrong. Almost everyone in the wizarding world knew who Tom was, but not many knew that the real name of the feared dark wizard Voldemort was really Riddle.

            I can hear what you are saying right now._ Wizarding world?_ you wonder. _What is this wizarding world you speak of? I know of no wizarding world. It is only something that you find in the movies and science fiction novels_.

            Well, congratulations. You are almost completely wrong. You might not know of any wizarding world, and it _is_ found in movies and science fiction novels, but that is not the only place you will discover it. The whole world around you is magic. Everything you touch, everything you breathe, everything you hear.

            What is the definition of magic? That is a simple question with no clear answer. Some define magic as raw energy that some individuals are able to harness. Those individuals are known as witches and wizards, and the rest are known as Muggles; those that cannot use the energy and potential within them. Others define magic as not being within organisms, but around them, flowing as air and water. Witches and wizards are able to call on this external magic to do their bidding with ordinary sticks with a center of huge magical energy, namely the body part of a magical creature such as a phoenix feather. These are wands.

            Probably the closest definition of the word 'magic' is _all that is around you, both things you can see and cannot see, and all that is within you and on you, both things you can see and cannot see. In essence, everything is magic. You are pure magic. So am I. With this definition, witches and wizards are kinds of gods and goddesses, able to harness the most fundamental building block of the universe: magic to do their bidding._

            During a time in our history, ordinary people like us viewed these 'godly' beings as being dangerous. Perhaps they had only seen the destructive force that controlled magic could do, or they were afraid of those different from themselves, but the Muggles of that time despised magic. Witches and wizards were tormented and slaughtered. They could not defend themselves for the ability to harness magic was not well studied back then. Spells were only capable of washing dishes and levitating a broom or summoning one. Dark wizards of that age had discovered 'attack spells'. These were destructive forces that Muggles saw. At the time, the Muggles outnumbered the magic folk greatly. It seemed that all traces of there ever being the ability to harness magic for good would be lost in great expanses of time.

           A few hundred years passed. Magic had not advanced much. But four young children would be about to change that. They met when they were in high school, four brilliant young minds working on a philosophy project when they discovered their powers. Hours of research into old texts and journals made them believe that they were able to harness magic to do their bidding. The children, now teenagers and soon to be adults, learned all they could about magic, its origin and how to use it. They modified spells and created new ones. Fifteen years later, their modified magic was the most powerful it would ever be. The four, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Helga Hufflepuff, did not want all their hard work to go to waste, so they decided together to build a school that taught magic. Hogwarts, they called it.

            After many years of work, Hogwarts was made and magic was taught and passed down the generations. Children were encouraged, as it was rare to ever have a squib. Over the course of decades, centuries, millennia, magic grew and evolved. Ancient and powerful spells were lost. Spells were dampened in intensity. But more people were able to harness this magic.

            Many other magical schools formed, following the steps of Hogwarts. The most successful of them all are Durmstrang and Beauxbaton.

            And so after many years of dark wizards, after many years of hard work and determination, after many years of change, our story begins.

            Tom Marvolo Riddle was a student at Hogwarts. The most brilliant of them all, some say. He was sweet and caring, an orphan, but resourceful and well-liked. No one knows why he turned evil, but after seven years of schooling at what is known as the finest magic school in all of England, he indulged in dangerous transformations and consorted with the most sinister of people, and resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, unrecognizable and dangerous. His goal was to gain immortality and then, world domination.

            For thirteen years, people all over the world were terrified of him. Then, one day, when Voldemort visited Godric's Hollow intending to kill the three Potters, he lost his power. After killing both Lily and James Potter, he had turned his wand on the one-year-old boy, Harry. The killing curse, _Avada Kedavra, rebounded off of Harry, giving Harry a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, made him famous, and caused Voldemort to lose all of his power. But Voldemort was still alive, a spirit, but alive. He wasn't human enough to die._

            He had waited for this day, after facing Potter for two years; he had waited for this day, where he would bring down Harry Potter once and for all, and show that he was indeed the best. Lord Voldemort smiled. His loyal servant at Hogwarts had prepared for this. Harry would arrive tonight. Voldemort wanted Harry to feel welcome. He was a good rival, weak, but knew how to survive. Tom Marvolo Riddle raised his wand, spoke a few well-chosen words, and at once, swirling gusts of wind raced around the graveyard. No one outside could see in. The wind would alter everything. Now all that was left to do was to wait…

To Be Continued...  
Wizard  
  
Read & Review Please! 


	2. The Past

**Title: **The Journey of a Lifetime **Author:** Wizard **Disclaimer: **This story does not belong to me. It belongs to J.K. Rowling, one of the richest women in the United Kingdom. This piece is not being used to make money. It is purely for entertainment of me, the author, and anything you find offensive in this piece, please do not let it affect your decision to buy the Harry Potter books. They truly are wonderful. **Summary: **This starts at the end of the Goblet of Fire (GoF). After his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter comes back to the Dursleys for the summer vacation. Strange things happen there. The Dursleys become nicer. At least, Dudley does. Harry gets a snake and work, and things go downhill from there. The life of Harry Potter, a young boy, a teenager, a wizard, a hero, as he finds himself. Friends turn enemies and enemies turn friends; what is in store for the fifteen-year-old Boy-Who-Lived? **Pairings: **HP/OC (H/OC), HG/RW (R/Hr), GW/DM (G/D) **Rating: **PG-13 [Review if you believe the rating should be changed.] **Reviewers for Chapter 1: **Phoebs - Thanks. Don't worry. The angst part of the story would be when all of Harry's friends turn on him. Depressing isn't it?

**The Journey of a Lifetime**

Chapter 2 – The Past

            A young boy of fourteen sat up in his bed suddenly, breathing heavily. The blurry images around him made no sense. Shakily, he reached across the small mattress he was on to pick up his glasses from where he had stored them on the floor of the small, damp room. Sweat poured down his face as the boy put his glasses on.

            The room came into focus. Harry Potter still marveled at how his glasses, two simple pieces of curved glass, could change his vision so much. He was small and frail, small for his age; in fact, he was so small that he could be mistaken for an eleven-year-old. Today was the first day back from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How he yearned to be there again. This summer would be horrible, possibly even more horrible than before. He was sure of it.             

            He had dreamed of it again. Silently, Harry chided himself. It was useless. No matter how hard he tried to stop it, it kept on pushing and pushing, always coming back to him. And it was only the first day back. Things were sure to get worse than they were now. Harry knew that it was impossible to keep the dream away. It always would pester him, again and again. Of course, he deserved it. It was his fault that Cedric Diggory had died that night during the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. If he hadn't been so noble… if… Harry shook his head. No more 'ifs'. What had passed had passed. No more mourning for him.

            But his unconscious mind would always wander to the same subject. All the deaths, all the suffering. All of them came down to Lord Voldemort… and to Harry. If Harry had not survived that night thirteen and a half years ago, Voldemort would not have taken revenge. His friends, who had done no wrong except to befriend him, would be in danger. Cedric was dead.

            _And all I did was stand there, Harry thought desperately. _I did nothing.__

            Harry lay back on his hard mattress, his 'bed.' _Bed,_ Harry thought wryly, a small grin gracing his face in spite of himself. _I would be more comfortable sleeping on the floor. The Dursleys had always treated him badly, and he had expected no better from them this summer. But it seemed so much longer and rougher. Of course, there had been deaths in his past, his mother, his father. But to witness one personally was just too horrible. Harry had read in a Muggle magazine that he had scrounged out of the wastebasket that after witnessing a murder, it would be one of the most traumatic times of a person's life. Harry smiled. __I was more traumatized when facing Voldemort than I would ever be witnessing a death._

            Slowly, Harry drifted off into an uneasy and fitful sleep. Tossing and turning and mumbling softly in his bed, Harry had another dream. For once during the past few weeks, it was not about Cedric or Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was about his past. His whole life flashed before his eyes, and when he would awaken to Aunt Petunia's yells a few hours later, he would remember nothing of the dream.

            It was a pitch black night. The darkness was eerie. The night was quiet, too quiet. The kind of silence you see and hear before a storm. And a storm was coming that night. Two storms, one natural and one not. As the first few drips of rain came down, splattering across the well-cut lawn of a tiny house, covering the windows with a clear yet opaque substance, as the first claps of thunder and lightning sounded, Lily Potter was in her baby Harry's room, slowly rocking him to sleep. Harry was ignorant of the storm, very unusual for Harry was only one. Soon, Harry fell asleep. Lily heard a loud noise downstairs. Getting up to investigate, she was surprised when she heard her husband James' yells as she was halfway down the stairs.

            "Get Harry and run, Lily. Voldemort's here. I'll hold him off."

            Lily hesitated, as though paralyzed in fear and indecision, then she unfroze and ran up as fast as humanly possible, maybe even faster with the adrenaline flowing in her body. She retrieved her wand and ran down the hall to Harry's room, attempting to use a levitation charm to levitate both herself and Harry out the window. She heard an _Expelliarmus_!_ and screamed. Gathering Harry up in her arms, blankets and everything, Lily blasted the window open with a well-placed Reductor Curse. Taking one last look back, she wondered if James would be alright. Her question was answered with a huge flash of green light and the dreaded words, _Avada___ Kedavra!_

            _No. Please let James be alright, Lily begged to a higher power hoping they were listening. Her hesitation had cost her though. As she turned once again preparing to leap out the window, a quick _Reparo___. was said behind her, and she spun around in horror when the window magically repaired itself. Voldemort was standing there, cloaked in pitch black robes, holding a wand in his right hand._

            "Stand aside, silly girl. I do not wish to harm you," Voldemort said with asneer.

            Lily knew what he was planning. "No. Not Harry. Have mercy. Not Harry," she cried.

            "Stand aside," Voldemort ordered.

            But Lily wouldn't budge. And Voldemort had no choice but to cast the killing curse on her, before setting his wand on Harry.

            "And now," he stated firmly. "Let the Potters all DIE. _Avada__ Kedavra!"_

            The bright green light streaked towards the little boy, cuddled up in his blanket, unaware of what was happening. Voldemort turned around looking extremely pleased. However, the deadly curse rebounded upon Voldemort. Voldemort disappeared and Harry was left with a lightning bolt shaped scar on his head, remnant of the dark curse he had survived.

            Ten years later, Harry Potter lived a miserable life with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and porky cousin Dudley Dursley. The Dursleys treated Harry like vermin. But on the night Harry turned eleven, Harry received a letter inviting him to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry immediately accepted and began his wonderful and amazing first year at Hogwarts. He met two great friends: Hermione Granger and Ronald, Ron for short, Weasley. Harry also made his second archrival: Draco Malfoy and his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle. But they were too stupid to be considered people. Harry discovered Quidditch, a game played on broomsticks with four balls and six golden hoops suspended in midair.

            At the end of his first year, Harry had come face to face with Lord Voldemort; he had taken over the body of Professor Quirrell, one of Harry's teachers.

            At the end of his second year, Harry discovered he was a Parseltongue, someone who can talk to snakes. Also, he faced Lord Voldemort once again. Voldemort was as his sixteen-year-old self preserved in a diary. Harry defeated a Basilisk, discovered Voldemort's real name, escaped his clutches once again, although barely, and rescued Ginny Weasley from the horrid and fabled Chamber of Secrets built by the great Salazar Slytherin himself.

            Harry did not face Voldemort in his third year at Hogwarts. Instead, his godfather, a convicted murderer who killed twelve Muggles with one single curse, is said to be after him. Harry discovered that Sirius Black was innocent and it was really Wormtail, Peter Pettigrew, who had betrayed his parents.

            Harry's fourth year was his most horrible. A huge tournament between the three greatest schools of magic, Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, was held at Hogwarts: the Triwizard Tournament. Harry was chosen as champion even though he was too young. After surviving a huge Hungarian Horntail dragon and rescuing Ron Weasley from the depth of the lake, Harry found himself in a maze, trying to find the center which held the Triwizard Cup.

            Both Cedric Diggory and Harry had reached the cup at the same time. Both argued with each other on the matter of who would take it. Harry finally suggested that they both take it together; it would be a Hogwarts victory anyhow.

            What they didn't know was that a traitor had turned the cup into a portkey that took Harry and Cedric to Lord Voldemort in a graveyard far away, in a town known as Little Hangleton. Cedric had been killed immediately with the dreaded _Avada__ Kedavra, and Harry had witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth and had escaped from his clutches yet once again, although just._

            That event burned in Harry's mind, never ever leaving him. Harry sighed in his sleep. He turned over in his bed, and the rest of his sleep was dreamless, heavenly dreamless.

To Be Continued  
Wizard 


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